The present invention relates to a tire condition monitoring system for providing a tire operation parameter, such as tire inflation pressure, to a vehicle operator. The present invention relates specifically to a tire condition monitoring system that provides ready identification of a tire providing condition information and avoids misidentification regardless of previous tire position change due to tire position rotation or the like.
Numerous tire condition monitoring systems have been developed in order to provide tire operation information to a vehicle operator. One example type of a tire condition monitor system is a tire pressure monitor system that detects when air pressure within a tire drops below a predetermined threshold pressure value.
There is an increasing need for the use of tire pressure monitoring systems due to the increasing use of xe2x80x9crun-flatxe2x80x9d tires for vehicles such as automobiles. A run-flat tire enables a vehicle to travel an extended distance after significant loss of air pressure within that tire. However, a vehicle operator may have difficulty recognizing the significant loss of air pressure within the tire because the loss of air pressure may cause little change in vehicle handling and visual appearance of the tire.
Typically, a tire pressure monitoring system includes a pressure sensing device, such as a pressure switch, an internal power source, and a communications link that provides the tire pressure information from a location at each tire to a central receiver. The central receiver is typically connected to an indicator or display located on a vehicle instrument panel.
The communications link between each tire and the central receiver is often a wireless link. In particular, radio frequency signals are utilized to transmit information from each of the tires to the central receiver. However, in order for the central receiver to be able to properly associate received tire pressure information with the tire associated with the transmission, some form of identification of the origin of the signal must be utilized. Such a need for identification of the origin of the transmitted tire information signal becomes especially important subsequent to a tire position change, such a routine maintenance tire position rotation.
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a tire condition communication system for a vehicle that has a tire. A sensed condition signal that includes an identification is transmitted to a vehicle-based unit. The system includes a tire condition sensor unit, associated with the tire, that sends the sensed condition signal. The system also includes an identification tag, located on the vehicle adjacent to the tire, that sends the identification to the tire condition sensor unit for inclusion in the signal to the vehicle-based unit.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a tire condition communication system for a vehicle that has a tire. Sensor means, associated with the tire, senses at least one tire condition. Memory means, associated with the tire, holds an identification. Transmitter means, associated with the tire and operatively connected to the sensor means and the memory means, transmits a signal that indicates the held identification and the sensed tire condition. Receiver means, associated with the vehicle, receives the transmitted signal indicative of the held identification and the sensed tire condition. Location identification means, located on the vehicle adjacent to the tire and having a location identification, transmits the location identification in response to a request. Update request means communicates a request to the location identification means to transmit the location identification. Identification update means, associated with the tire and operatively connected to the memory, receives the requested location identification and provides the received location identification to the memory means to be held as the held identification.
In accordance with yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method of providing tire condition communication for a vehicle that has a tire. A tire condition sensor unit is associating with the tire. An identification tag is affixed to the vehicle adjacent to the tire. An identification is sent from the identification tag to the tire condition sensor unit. A sensed condition signal that includes the identification is sent from the tire condition sensor unit to a vehicle-based unit.